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The pews are packed, the foyer cramped, and the parking lot a disaster. Clearly, the church has outgrown its facilities.

The congregation wants to build, but it's wary. It has heard too much about what can go wrong with a building program. For any church about to start a major construction project, here's some advice:

1. Know Why You're Building
A church building is only a tool that the real church uses to minister to the needs of the body of Christ and the community. Toward that end, a congregation should build or renovate only if that project will enhance its worship, education, and fellowship.

Worship. Worship is a key element of God's relationship with his people. We draw strength as individuals from corporate worship. But a church's design should follow the congregation's worship style rather than allowing a building design to dictate what form of worship is possible.

Education. Classrooms should be flexible enough to handle changing class sizes and programs. A congregation also needs space for offices, restrooms, circulation, and storage.

Fellowship. Unless an entire church building is designed as a multipurpose facility, a sizable room will be needed for fellowship. This space usually involves an adjacent kitchen, pantry, and storage. Conference rooms, libraries, vending machine areas, restrooms, and nurseries are also part of fellowship space.

2. Know When to Build
Does a congregation really need to build now, or would it be better off waiting till it raises more funds? According to When Not to Build, by Ray Bowman and Eddy Hall, a congregation should weigh a decision to build against three principles:

1. It should build only when it can do so without disturbing its focus from ministering to people.

2. It needs more space only when it fully uses what it has.

3. It should build only when it can do so with the income God has provided and without borrowing funds needed for other ministries.

3. Get Everyone's Support
A plan for physical growth must be combined with a plan for outreach and development. A minister can't do that alone. Laypeople must have a vision of growth of the kingdom of God and a willingness to work for it in personal ministries.

4. Sort Through the Options
To expand a church building to accommodate growth, you might:

1. Renovate current facilities to handle minor problems, and reassign programs to make better use of space.

2. Add onto current facilities.

3. Look for another church facility in the community into which to move. This is usually more affordable than new construction.

4. Build a new facility in a location that will accommodate at least 25 years of continued growth.

5. Cover the Cost
Building debt-free is best. Short of that, to fund your project:

1. Look for donated funds that have not yet been assigned to a ministry?
2. Ask for pledges to stimulate giving and increase awareness of need?
3. Look for low-interest loans or grants from your denomination or parent church organization?

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